The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-30
THE BISMARCK MUSEUM.
Dakota Bell.

Dakota Bell.
 There is a lot of Dakota stuffed birds and animals in the capitol build ing at Bismarck which visitors to that city should make it point to avoid. The specimens were mounted during the hard winter when hay was worth S64 ton and consequently an ar tist couldn't afford to fill them as they really should be, SO they look gaunt and hollow and haggard and the spectator comes away with sad. depressed feeling.
 There is small black bear, with stony artificial human eyes, which is thinking about climbing a tree con- siderably shorter than itself. There is also petritied antelope and jack rabbit which owing to the want of hay in it's interior department, has settled down until it is only about half as tall as the live, able bodied jack.
 The unfortunate thing about the buffalo is that owing to the high price at which buffalo robes now sell, the territory decided that it could not afford to keep the hide, so it has been sold to get money to buy coal for the governors office and the remainder of the buffalo carefully preserved
 To any one wishing to study taxi dermy or the anatomyof the buffalo this specimen would prove a boon.
 A thin Indian pony standing near by looks as if was about to nibble the hay exposed between the ribs of the buffalo, but so far it has not done so.
 There is coyote near, which has been run through wringer and con- siderably ilattened out, but it still has strength to hold it's mouth open and show its warm, red wooden tongue. Another of the same animals is climb ing recklessly up the neck of deer. The deer is not aware of it's presence, being busily engaged in rolling up two white door, knobs. which serve as eyes, to look at several prairie chick ems, which have lit on its horns to pass the night, just as natural as life.
 There is nameless white animal made of artificial atone. It is the on- ly one in the collection with stiff ears. It iS calculated to make person lose confidence in nature and animal stutf- CTS, to see spirited Indian pony, for instance, with its ears hanging down all wrinkled up like wilted radish leaf.
 An immense pair of horns from a mountain sheep are attached to the body of a common domestic calf, thus making one of the rarest specimens known to natural history. It is worth $l0 to stand near and hear man tell how he has shot hundreds of mount ain sheep just like it.
 On the pony there is an Indian pap poose, made of wood and feathers. There is sad, almost pained, express ion on it's face which, perhaps, is not strange when we notice the largo nails driven through its legs to hold it to the horse.
 A small log house consisting prin- cipally of cracks, holes, apertures, tis- sures, perforations and open places, with some Indian and mineral speci- | iiiChS NoiHPiNAC tiiC OiSHuN
 Occasionally during the sessions of the legislature, member will wan der into the enclosures, and, under the impression that he is in the house or council chamber, afford considerable amusement for the stuffed animals.
 The broad pleasant smile on the countenance of the artificial stone an- imal is said to have been caused by a member of the last legislature ap- preaching it late one night, holding out his hand and asking it how it stood on the high license question.
 It is sad sight to see the man who prepared the collection come occasion ally and make repairs. He will wan der about among those silent testimo- nials of what he doesn't know about the business, driving nail into wolf here and there, inserting wire casu- ally in prairie dog or carefully counting the legs of the grizzly bear to see if there is the right number.
 Then perhaps he will discover that the moose's hind legs are on in front, reluctantly tear them off to correct the error and perhaps before he gets through, discover that the antelope has but three legs and go and tie one of the moose's on it to complete the number.
 Then he will put the rabbits ears up on curl papers and shove its body together about six inches further like an accordion. Then again he will be heard swearing softly to himself as he discovers that the fine large horses tail which he has attached to the sil- ver-tip bear under the impression that it belonged to it is missing, and will quietly substitute the brush of a